Marian Images

Candy loves to post images of alleged Marian worship. She especially likes the image of Mary with the nail marks in her hands. She specifically points it out in the beginning of her article.

The thing is, that is not a Catholic image. I have only seen that image on fundamentalist sites such as Jesus Is Lord. If anyone can point me to a Catholic site using it, please post in the comments. I believe the stars on Mary's veil are closest to the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but it is not the same image.



There are many images of Mary which a Catholic would recognize as common depictions. None of them include nail marks in the hands of Mary. This image is simply an exaggeration, intending to prove the point of Catholic Mary worship.




Mary has long been honored in the Catholic tradition for her sufferings, but her sufferings are not the same as those of Jesus. The sufferings of Mary are known as the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are not physical sorrows, but mental ones.

The Prophecy of Simeon
The Flight into Egypt
The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross
The Crucifixion
The Taking Down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross
Jesus laid in the Tomb





Mary says that her soul magnifies the glory of the Lord, and the Seven Sorrows of Mary illustrate that. As in any Marian devotion, it draws us to Jesus. The sorrows of Mary take us through Jesus' life and death. Seeing them through the eyes of His mother give us new insight into His suffering and death. Who would want to be killed before their mother?

The Catholic Mary does not seek to replace Jesus, or to be another saviour. She only seeks to draw us to her Son. She wants us to "Do whatever He tells you."